The Raven's Eclipse
by pikacutie25
Summary: Conan Edogawa is pretty good at keeping his secret. But what would have happened if even one of the students at his school couldn't keep quiet about Shinichi's reappearance as the Black Knight? Will he be able to take on the Black Organization with the life of the person he cares about most on the line? AU after the Desperate Revival arc. Rated T for mild language.
1. The Shadow Looms

**The Raven's Eclipse  
**_by pikacutie25_

**Chapter 1: The Shadow Looms**

In a hotel room somewhere in Tokyo, a woman with long blonde hair sat on her bed smoking a cigarette. She gazed out the window, ruminating about her recent activities and remembering two tiny figures who had left a deep impression on her. She thought about the possibilities and then smiled to herself.

The melody of her cell phone's ringtone then interrupted her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID and, recognizing the number with a knowing smile, answered the call. They had a short discussion on a recent new member, and promptly ended the call with no extraneous words.

_In the syndicate for only a month and already having almost the same privileges as members like Gin and me…this person must have some serious potential,_ she thought. _I wonder how this rookie will fare against _him_…_

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain little boy sat in the office of the Mouri Detective Agency with a look of extreme discontent visible on his face. Conan Edogawa usually kept up a good façade to mask his true identity, but today he was so completely dissatisfied with recent events that he couldn't keep it from showing on his face. He sat on the couch in the office and plopped his chin on the palm of his hand, thinking back over his recent reappearance.

_This whole experience is just so frustrating! When I get my hands on the bastards who did this to me, I swear I'll make them wish they had never laid a hand on Shinichi Kudo!_ Conan sighed. _I finally got to meet Ran again as myself, and I couldn't even enjoy it the way I wanted to. Some people just really disgust me. If those two people hadn't decided to murder someone, I would've been able to do exactly what I wanted to before I changed back! I came into Ran's play as the Black Knight, and I tried to take her out to that special place…both times, I was so close to…to… _Conan blushed.

Just then, Ran walked in and, seeing how red Conan's face had gotten, worriedly inquired, "Oh no, Conan-kun! Do you have a fever? Are you sick?" She placed her hand on his forehead to measure his temperature, but this only served to make him blush an even deeper shade of red.

"Uh, n-no, Ran-neechan, I'm not sick…d-don't worry…" Conan stuttered.

"Hmm…well, you don't seem to have a temperature, so I guess you aren't sick after all. Thank goodness!" Ran remarked. Thus satisfied, she walked out of the room, allowing Conan to breathe a sigh of relief.

_God, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up…_

* * *

Mizuna Hamako plopped face-down on her bed and let out a long groan. "I knew I should've taken up the offer to play the part of the princess in that play, I just knew it!" she exclaimed, pounding her fist into her bed. "I should've seen it as a sign when they randomly chose me out of all the other girls at our school…and of course my all-important game just happened to fall on the same day as the play!" she grumbled, reluctantly sitting up.

"But…but if I had known that _he_ would be there, and as the Black Knight no less…!" she sighed. Her eyes began to water against her will, which she promptly wiped with no little force. "I've liked him ever since I first met him at this school…not that he ever noticed me, even though I've been in his class the whole time," she closed her eyes to prevent more tears from coming.

"I would've g-given anything…to have been the one onstage, to be close to him like that…a-anything! Shinichi, why…? Why won't you choose me over that girl Ran!? Am I not…g-good enough for you?" she had started sobbing by now, cradling her face in her hands. "Shinichi Kudo…you showed up so suddenly, and now you're gone again…p-please…come back…I need to tell you how I f-feel…!" she said between sobs. With nothing else on her mind but her missed chance, she continued crying in silence.

From outside the bedroom, Mizuna's mother moved away from the door. _Oh, my poor Mizu-chan, _she thought. _But…this phase of hers will pass. For now, I think something else she said caught my attention just a little more…_

* * *

In another secret location, a man sat at his desk. It was covered in scattered newspapers, articles, and clippings, and on one corner of it sat a computer of a relatively new model. The man was currently amusing himself by reading over one of the less-popular newspapers, _Beika Weekly_, and enjoying the trite, pointless stories. He flipped the page, and a particular headline immediately caught his eye:

_FAMOUS HIGH SCHOOL DETECTIVE MAKES REAPPEARANCE_

_Story by Chiyo Hamako_

He quickly scanned through the story, then immediately started typing rapidly in his computer. His eyes darted back and forth, reading through all the information on his computer until they suddenly came to a halt, staring at a particularly interesting find. He smirked and, looking back at the newspaper, said to himself, "Well, this should be interesting…"

* * *

"Come on Conan-kun, it's time to go to school!" Ran called from the front door of the Mouri Detective Agency.

"Okaaay!" she heard a tiny voice call back. A couple of seconds later, a small child came running towards her, backpack fit loosely on his shoulders.

"Ready? Have you got everything?" she inquired.

"Yep! Let's go, Ran-neechan!" Conan exclaimed. Smiling, Ran led the way out the door and then they were on their way.

Ran always enjoyed walking with Conan on the way to school. He was a constant little ball of energy zooming around her, and he made her smile every time. Of course, there were a couple of rare moments when he seemed altogether too sad for a child, but his sad moments were almost always brought on by something that troubled Ran. She thought it was very sweet of him to worry about her like that, and his caring reminded her greatly of…

_Shinichi…_

She then found herself thinking about her absent friend…no, friend would be wrong. Ran liked to think of him as more than just a good friend, and she wished she could have told him how she really felt before he disappeared. _Again._ She was suddenly reminded of Shinichi's special "appearance" at her school play and their little "date" afterwards. What had he wanted to tell her? She had had a certain hunch at the time…but he couldn't possibly have wanted to _confess_ to her something that she felt strongly for him. She was probably letting her own feelings obscure her vision of what was actually true. Besides, why would someone as talented and intelligent as Shinichi want someone like her…? She became depressed at the thought that he didn't feel anything for her…

"Ran-neechan?" Conan asked worriedly.

She realized that she had fallen silent in her own thoughts for a long time, and with the thoughts she had on her mind at that moment, she probably didn't have the most optimistic expression on her face either. She looked down at Conan and, with an attempt at a smile, said, "Yes, Conan-kun?"

"I was worried about Ran-neechan…you got all silent and looked sad so I thought something was wrong…" Conan had a look of genuine concern on his face, one that not many kids his age know.

Yet again, Ran was amazed and comforted by Conan's capacity for caring about her. "Oh, Conan-kun, nothing's wrong…thank you for thinking about me, though." Ran stated.

Conan gave her one last look of concern, then faced forward and concentrated on walking. Ran sighed internally and tried to find some happy thoughts in case Conan ventured to glance at her again. Soon, however, they came upon the corner where Sonoko and the Detective Boys were waiting.

"Conan-kun!" the young ones ecstatically called out, running to him. Haibara remained characteristically indifferent.

"Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko!" Conan responded. They all converged around him, obscuring most of him from view.

"Ran! What's up?" Sonoko called. Her friendly words finally brought Ran back to reality.

"Oh, hi, Sonoko!" Ran cheerily responded, all previous negative thoughts wiped away for the moment. "Nothing much, just walking Conan-kun to school, as usual." The two teenage girls began walking towards their high school while the group of kids went the other way to the elementary school. She glanced back at Conan one more time before focusing on her conversation with Sonoko.

"So, how has your boyfriend been?" Sonoko sneered.

"How many times do I have to tell you? He's not my boyfriend!" Ran blushed.

"Right, right. Sure he isn't. So have you talked to him lately?"

"Oh, well, I…" Ran drifted off. She found herself thinking about the recent past again, but to avoid thinking negative thoughts again, she said, "Yeah, I did. And he's just as big of an idiot as always."

"Then why don't you move on from him?"

_I don't move on because…I love him,_ she wanted to say. It was true, she loved him deeply, though she would never admit it to anyone. So instead she said, "Because that big idiot needs _someone_ to look out for him."

* * *

Class was almost ready to begin at Beika High School, but there was a pair of girls in the corner of Class 2-B who were still talking quite noticeably.

"Have you talked to Mizuna-chan since then?" the first girl inquired.

"No, I haven't," the second girl replied. "In fact, she's not here yet, is she? Where could she be?"

"She was really upset when I talked to her. She probably doesn't feel like coming to school."

"Wow, I've never seen her miss even one day of school. She must be really down…"

"Yeah…I hope she feels better soon."

"Alright you two, enough talking," the teacher called them out. "It's time to start class now."

The two girls, slightly embarrassed, immediately took their seats and tried their hardest not to look too conspicuous with the entire class staring at them.

Ran, too, was looking at them, but empathized with them as she herself had been in the same position many times before. However, she did not think it was that odd that the girl mentioned was missing a day of school. After all, there was a certain detective in their class who had missed a lot more than a single day. When was the last time he was in class? As the teacher babbled on about history, Ran allowed herself to sink into a reverie again, staring at the vacant seat in the classroom.

* * *

"Wow, class was so much fun today! Right, Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I had fun," Conan managed to say. _Because making a game out of learning the multiplication table is just thrilling…_

"Hey, you wanna come to the professor's with us?" Genta offered.

"No thanks, I really have to get home tonight," Conan answered. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye!" the three children said as Conan began to walk home.

Conan was worried about Ran. She hadn't looked her usual cheerful self earlier that day, and more than likely, it was probably his fault—either Conan's or Shinichi's. Most likely Shinichi. He was just as upset as she was that their dinner out got cut short by a stupid murder. Even though she seemed to have gotten her frustrations off her chest that night, she was probably still heartbroken, and she needed his support one way or another.

So, as he arrived back home, he called out, "I'm home!" He expected to see Ran immediately, but for some reason she wasn't there. "Ran-neechan?" he called out again.

"Stop making such a racket!" Kogoro yelled from the next room.

"Where's Ran-neechan?" Conan asked, walking into the room Kogoro was in. The old man was currently at his desk smoking a cigarette while reading a newspaper…the usual.

"She told me she was going out with a friend tonight and that she didn't know when she'd be back. And she didn't even leave me any dinner!" Kogoro complained with a depressed expression.

"We could always go for take-out, right Oji-san?"

"Take-out again?" Kogoro grumbled.

Conan decided to leave the conversation at that, as he didn't want to provoke him when he was hungry. _Well,_ Conan thought, _if she's going out to have fun with a friend, then she must have already cheered up since then. That's great! I'd hate for her to still be depressed._

Thus satisfied, he decided to be productive and get his easy homework out of the way. He got his books out of his backpack and climbed up on the chair to begin when suddenly he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He reached for Conan's phone but realized it wasn't the one vibrating; Shinichi's phone was.

_What on Earth? It must be a message from Ran, _Conan thought as he got out his other phone. However, as he flipped open his phone, he saw that it was instead from an unknown number. Curious, he opened up the message to find something stranger than he would have ever imagined receiving right then:

_The precious orchid blooms beautifully in the daylight._

_The jet-black raven watches jealously from out-of-sight._

_The gentle whale returns home for the day,_

_Waiting until the next to again be on its way._

_Come nighttime, the raven swoops down and plucks the flower,_

_Bringing it back to the whale's home before the midnight hour._

_The raven challenges its rival to snatch away its prize,_

_And watches from its lair with unwavering eyes._

_The raven, with its sharp intelligence, can plainly see_

_If there is more danger than there should be._

_It would then promptly fly off past the shore,_

_And the beautiful flower will bloom…nevermore._

Conan stared at the message, perplexed. _What the hell is this?_

* * *

_Author's Note: Wow, that poem was really difficult to write! Hopefully I can get the next chapter out before the end of winter break...anyways, what the heck just happened? What is this strange message he received? All the clues are within the chapter. See if you can figure out what happened!  
_


	2. The Message

**The Raven's Eclipse****  
**_by pikacutie25_

**Chapter 2: The Message  
**

The more he read the cryptic message, the more confused he became. In the past, Conan had solved numerous cases involving riddles and codes, but this one was different than all the other ones he had encountered. _He could feel it._ This was not like something thought up in the mind of some psychotic serial killer _wanting someone_ to solve his crafty riddles, nor was this something hurriedly written down by a homicide victim trying to leave a clue to the killer. Whoever wrote this put a lot of deep thought and time into making sure it was exactly what it needed to be. But what exactly was it? There was obviously a deeper meaning to this seemingly simple poem, and the author made absolute certain that it was difficult enough that not just anyone could figure it out. _Well, this is just a puzzle, _Conan thought. _And like any other puzzle, it has a solution, and I'm going to figure it out!_

The first thing that popped out at him was that the poem seemed to have a recurring theme of nature. _A whole lot of good _that's_ going to do me, _Conan frowned. What else is hidden in here? The main character, so to speak, appeared to be the raven. _Let's see…provided I don't overanalyze this, this story has a very simple plot. A not-too-attractive raven becomes jealous of a much more beautiful flower and in its envy steals the flower away: that much I can understand. But what does everything after that mean? What does a whale have to do with a raven and a flower? Ugh, maybe I'll save that last one for later._

_So, the raven goes back to wherever its lair happens to be, and…it waits for a rival? What animal has a raven as a rival? This doesn't make sense. And what kind of danger is the next part talking about? More than there should be…? Was the raven expecting danger from its rival? Then why would it challenge it in the first place? Well, I can probably guess it has to do with some sort of trivial contest between the two. But just who are the raven and this mysterious rival? And then there's the last two lines…the raven will fly far away and the flower won't bloom anymore? So that means the raven will disappear and the flower will…die?_

"Aghh! Can this be any more difficult?" Conan shouted, letting his head fall hard on the table.

"What are you yelling about now, brat!?" Kogoro called out again.

"Oh, uh, it's just hard homework! But I'll figure it out!"

"Eh? Is that all? Geez, kids these days…"

Conan sighed. He realized he was making more and more slip-ups lately, though that could be partially owed to his recent "get out of acting free" card; that is, his recent temporary change. He hadn't needed to keep up his act when he was actually himself, but he hadn't thought he would revert back to his original terrible acting. Or maybe he was just being paranoid. He seriously hoped it wasn't the latter option, though.

_Anyways, I'd better get back to figuring this out. If something like this was sent to Shinichi's phone, it's obviously important, so I need to reason this out as quickly as possible. It might have to do with a case, more likely than not._

However, try as he might, he could not get any more insight into the poem's meaning. He glanced around the room, trying to draw inspiration from something, but no luck. He imagined how Ran would have reacted if she had seen him right now at such a loss. She probably would have laughed. Even with the bitter possibility of failure before him, he could think nothing but positive thoughts when it came to Ran. Her smile, her face, her radiant personality…_just like an angel's, _he found himself thinking with a smile. _Like an angel…_

_Wait a second._ Conan was suddenly struck by an idea. He needed to stop looking at the poem so literally and look at it from a more figurative viewpoint! _Why didn't I think of it before?_ _If each object represents a person or thing, then this just became a lot easier! So maybe the main character, the raven, is actually…a phone?_

"Huh?" Conan realized he wasn't actually thinking of the raven as a phone. This time, the melody of a call on his cell phone interrupted his thought process. But it wasn't from the phone he was currently holding; it was from Conan's phone. _What, is someone going to explain the answer to this riddle or something? _Conan joked to himself. He fished out his phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" Conan answered nonchalantly.

"Kudo-kun!" said a half-terrified, half-angry voice on the other end.

"H-Haibara? What's wrong?" Conan's tone instantly changed.

"You're what's wrong, Kudo-kun! I told you not to do it, I warned you not to! The whole reason I gave you an antidote was so that you wouldn't upset Ran _or_ tip off the Organization! But then you just _had _to go and show yourself off to the entire audience at that play. You thought something like that would go unnoticed? They would have found out eventually! They always do…and now none of us are safe…!" Haibara's voice had slowly morphed from one of anger to one of pure terror.

"Haibara, calm down! What's happened?" Conan demanded, now slightly worried too.

"You don't read _Beika Weekly_, do you? Your carelessness made the headlines this week! The Organization could already be after you, me, and everyone else we know and love!" Haibara finished.

Conan grew silent as comprehension slowly dawned on him. The article, Ran's sudden absence, the message…it all suddenly made sense. _How could I have been so stupid and careless…?_

"Kudo-kun? Hel-" Haibara was cut off when Conan suddenly hung up without another word.

After hanging up, Conan did not shift position at all; he sat stock-still on the chair. He was in utter shock after realizing what had just happened. _All this time, all these careful actions…it was all for nothing…? I couldn't even protect the one I care about the most…? Ran, I'm sorry, it's all my fault…I failed you… _Conan shut his eyes, angry at himself and the rest of the world. _I suppose they'll come for me next, right? I don't even care if they kill me…I should have been first anyways… _He lowered his head to the table to hide the grief his face would inevitably betray.

* * *

Conan had no idea how long he had been sitting there in that position. The next thing he became conscious of was his hand vibrating in front of him. Wait, his hand was vibrating? On a second look, he realized he was still holding his phone in his hand, and now it was vibrating from another message. Reluctantly, he flipped open his phone and realized there were actually many messages, all of which were from the same number: Haibara's phone. Some part of his original self that he retained in the back of his mind scolded him for hanging up on Haibara like that. However, he was too upset and shocked to even give a second thought about Haibara.

He read through her numerous messages, only half-caring about what they said. He was able to retain a single overarching idea from her messages, though. She was worried about him. It wasn't like him to suddenly hang up on someone for no apparent reason and not even attempt to contact the person again. She, being the genius that she was, correctly deduced that something was up. _Did she send these messages because she simply wanted to know why I hung up, or does she actually care…?_ Upon reading through the messages, he perceived that she truly was concerned. _Could there actually be other people worth protecting…?_

Conan finally managed to get his logical mind back together after the shock. It was only then that he realized that he hadn't yet fully deciphered the riddle. There could still be hope if he could figure it out. He grabbed his other phone again and looked over the poem once more. Paying careful attention to the flower's role this time, he realized that the message didn't necessarily say that it was dead yet. It would only die if some extra danger came into play. _So could Ran be…?_ His heart full of hope now, he eagerly set to work deciphering the rest of the poem. Obviously, the raven was the Black Organization, or at least one of its members. Ran was the flower, which should have been immediately obvious given that her name means "orchid."

So, ignoring the out-of-place lines about the whale, the poem had a fairly obvious meaning. Ran, the orchid, was kidnapped by a member of the organization, a raven. This person took her to some secret place, "the whale's home," during the night. After bringing her there, he sent a challenge to his rival, Shinichi, which would explain why he got this message in the first place; the message itself is a challenge. Next, it mentions that there should not be "more danger than there should be," and the only thing that would be significantly more dangerous than Shinichi would be the police. If this extra danger is present, then this person would escape and most likely kill Ran before leaving.

_Well, that was actually very straightforward. I can't believe I didn't get it before! Elementary school must really be dropping my IQ or something…_

Now that it was apparent that a member of the Black Organization was challenging Shinichi, the only question was when and where. The "when" is probably midnight tonight, seeing as it is the only mention of time anywhere in the poem. The "where," however, is more difficult. The lair is supposedly the whale's home, but what is it supposed to be?

_Maybe compiling all the parts about the whale will help me figure out the place? Let's see, something has to be represented by a gentle whale, as both of the other objects turned out to be people. It has to be something that travels back and forth across the water every day. Does that mean it's a type of marine vehicle? But that could've been represented by any aquatic animal. It has to be one about as large as a whale…it travels back and forth…_

Suddenly it clicked. _A cargo ship! The place must be the shipyard! Of course! It's the perfect place for something like this; the place is practically deserted!_ Conan glanced at his phone's clock—it was currently 5:32 PM. There was plenty of time until the designated meeting time.

However, Conan now faced a new problem: what was he going to do? So a member of the Black Organization has suddenly discovered that Shinichi Kudo is actually still alive and has kidnapped someone close to him in an effort to lure him out. Alright, great. Now what? He absolutely had to go meet this member in order to rescue Ran, but there were some problems. _For one, I can't possibly go like this. How would it look to be expecting the great detective Shinichi Kudo and find some kid waltzing in instead? I'm not going to betray my secret if I don't have to. But, all of Professor Agasa's inventions fit Conan, not Shinichi, so I would be going there completely defenseless. I need help. I can't call the police, or else he'll somehow find out and kill Ran before I can get there. I really can't call Hattori for help either, because he's all the way in Osaka and there's no way he could make it here in time. What am I going to do? I'm out of options!_

Conan put his hand on his head. He had no idea what he could do. Was he really powerless to rescue Ran? _No, I can't think about that again! There has to be another way…_

Conan suddenly raised his head, struck by an idea. _Maybe…!_

He quickly got up and ran over to Kogoro. He snatched the newspaper right out of his hands, saying, "I'm going to borrow this really quickly, Oji-san!"

"Oi! Give that back!" Kogoro started chasing Conan.

A master as he was by now of dodging Kogoro and his attacks, Conan was able to read the paper and dodge his attacks at the same time. _Aha,_ Conan thought, locating a specific section of the newspaper,_ I thought so! This will be one of my most desperate moves yet, but it's my only option. I hope this works…!_

Finished with the newspaper, Conan tossed it up in the air for Kogoro to catch. Not listening to anything else Kogoro said after that, Conan got ready to leave, quickly putting on his shoes. As he ran out the door, he yelled back, "Oji-san, I'm going to stay over at the professor's tonight! I have something important to do!"

Before Kogoro realized what had happened, Conan was gone out the door, heading hurriedly to Professor Agasa's place with a purpose.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, that chapter came faster than even I anticipated! I would say that the next chapter should be out by the end of winter break this time, but I won't make any promises, as I am going on vacation over the break. To Las Vegas. Yay._

_So, I can't say I'm entirely happy with the way this chapter turned out. It just feels...wrong, somehow. I think I may have written just a little OOC there. But I don't know! What do you guys think? A review would greatly be appreciated, no matter how short! Thanks for the support! (Okay...maybe I should lay off the rhyme for a while.)  
_


	3. Unexpected Company

_Sorry this wasn't out by the end of my winter break! But at least I wasn't too late...and also sorry for the short chapter! This one section turned out longer than I planned, and the next section I know will be long, so...I just decided to cut it off here. Hontoni, gomen'nasai!_

_So anyways, yay, it's Ran again! Were you wondering where she's been? Unconscious, that's where. So now you'll finally get to see what's been happening with her! Hope you enjoy!  
_

* * *

**The Raven's Eclipse****  
**_by pikacutie25_

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Company**

_Run. The only thing she could do was run to the place where she somehow knew that something was going wrong. Horribly wrong. Worry, fear, dread. She was painfully aware of each precious second ticking away, each second where she couldn't possibly know what was happening yet she did anyway. Past the gate, up the steps, through the doorway. She dashed into the next room and perceived a terrible scene before her, one that she had only seen in her worst nightmares. Blood trails, giant bruises, deep wounds. The faceless murderer glanced at her, directing a grin of pure evil towards her before turning heartlessly back to his original target whom she knew all too well. Gun trained. The wounded man gave her one last meaningful look: one of terror, one of anguish, one of apology. Shot fired. She watched helplessly as the most important person in her life fell lifelessly to the ground, all color fading from his once-blue eyes. What to do, what to say, what to believe? She stood there unable to move as the murderer turned around to face her, staring at her with cold eyes full of bloodlust…_

Ran jolted awake, fully conscious and completely terrified. She was breathing heavily, and her heart was beating madly. _Oh God, it was just a dream…_ she relaxed. After her breathing and heart rate returned to normal, she realized she couldn't move freely. It almost felt like she was tied up…

"Where…am I…?" Ran said, mostly to herself.

"Oh, Mouri-san, you're awake!" a relieved voice called from nearby. It sounded like a girl around her own age, but she couldn't be sure because she couldn't see well through the darkness.

"Huh? Someone else is here? Who are you?" Ran immediately became suspicious, given her current situation.

"Oh, I'm, um…I'm Hamako Mizuna," the voice clarified. Mizuna scooted closer to Ran in order for them to see each other better.

"Hamako Mizuna…? Hold on…you're the girl who was absent from class today!" Ran realized. "Oh, so…this is why you were absent. Wait, where are we anyway?"

"I…wish I knew," Mizuna stated weakly.

"I see…so how did we get here then?" Ran asked, suddenly confused.

"You…don't remember how you got here?"

"Not really, it's all a blur," Ran stated simply. Truthfully, she was still too fazed by her nightmare to remember how she got there, but she would rather not disclose such a horrible dream. "Well, what happened to you?"

"Um, well, I think I was doing some shopping before this. Somehow, I had gotten lost…I guess I must not have been paying attention to what I was doing. The last thing I remember was walking down some alley…so, I guess that must be when I was kidnapped," she sighed.

"You were kidnapped?"

"Yes…oh, Mouri-san, it's all my fault you were kidnapped too!" she said suddenly. "I'm so sorry!"

"What do you mean?"

"After I got kidnapped and brought to this place I didn't recognize, I was terrified…I was scared for my life! I didn't know what this person wanted from me. I feared the worst…" her voice faltered. "So when he came holding a gun and asking me for information, I-I didn't know what else to do! If I didn't tell him anything, I know he would've killed me right then! So I directed him to the only person who could possibly know Shinichi's whereabouts…you," she finished guiltily.

Ran meditated on what she said. She may have betrayed her, but…

"It's…it's ok. It was the only thing you could've done in your situation. It's not your fault," Ran vouched.

"Still…I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were kidnapped too," Mizuna apologized again. "But…you really can't remember what you were doing before now?"

"Hmm…" Ran closed her eyes, trying to remember past her nightmare. "…Ah! Now I remember!"

It all came back to her at once…

_She had walked home from school, still thinking about Shinichi. Sonoko had been pestering her even more about him, but after seeing that she really wasn't in the mood, she quickly dropped the subject. Ran had arrived home shortly after parting ways with her friend, and now that she was finally by herself, she allowed herself to continue moping in silence. She had been holding her phone in hand, wishing for a hint, a sign, that Shinichi still cared about her, and that's when she received the text message. The phone's display showed, in giant bold letters, "__**FROM: SHINICHI KUDO**__." Her heart had nearly stopped at the time; it hadn't seemed possible. But there it was, the proof right in front of her. She had opened the message, wondering what he had sent her, when she found that it was a seemingly unimportant message: "Wow, my house has really gathered a lot of dust without me around. It looks pretty bad, but I suppose it could be much worse." However, this single message had betrayed a very important fact to her: he was home. Why else would he ever decide to comment on it out of the blue like this? With that hopeful thought on her mind, she had quickly rushed over to Shinichi's house after giving a hurried excuse to her dad. She'd been so excited to finally see him back home that she rushed into the house without bothering to knock or ring the bell. She had run from room to room searching for him, all the while calling his name out. However, she had been losing hope as she went through more and more rooms without finding him or even hearing him utter a sound. When she finally arrived at the last room in the house, she had approached it hesitantly, afraid to find that Shinichi wasn't home after all. She had entered the room, calling out Shinichi's name one last time, when suddenly her mouth and nose had become covered with some kind of handkerchief. After she gasped out of surprise, she lost consciousness and couldn't remember anything afterward…_

"That's terrible…you were expecting Kudo-kun, and instead you were kidnapped," Mizuna stated, apparently still beating herself up over her role in Ran's kidnapping.

"Yeah, I guess I was, wasn't I?" Ran said with a weak smile.

Suddenly it all made sense to Ran. Someone had impersonated Shinichi and sent her a text message, prompting her to come running to finally see him again. This same person had then ambushed her there and took her away to wherever she was currently being held. But that still left one unanswered question: _Where's Shinichi now?_

_Could he have been kidnapped too? Or, worse, could he be…? Was my nightmare actually…real? No, it's not possible! Shinichi always catches the bad guys! He couldn't have been beaten!_

"Mouri-san...? Are you alright?" Mizuna interrupted her thoughts, worried she was actually upset with her.

"Oh, yeah…I'm just worried, that's all," Ran quickly made up. Not a total lie.

That's right, she was just worried, overreacting as usual. That big, reliable idiot was probably already working out how to rescue her.

_He'll come and rescue us…I know you will, Shinichi._

* * *

_Author's Note: So, how'd you like it? __Apparently their feelings are contagious even over long distances! _ Anyway, again, really sorry for the short chapter...the next one will be longer, I promise. And you can look forward to it! 'Cuz guess who's coming next time~  


_On a not-so-side note, I won't be releasing the next chapter anytime soon. Sorry for getting anyone's hopes up just to say that! But school this semester is going to be MUCH more than I bargained for... -_-; However, I will say that I'll, again, TRY to get it out sometime around spring break...whenever that is. So please don't abandon this as another unfinished story! Because I DO promise that this will be finished. Someday.  
_

_Oh, but I am going to say this, though. I was reading over my previous chapters, and I've gotta say, I am not happy with them. At first it was more of a "oh, this could have been worded better." But then I realized I left out a bunch of small yet crucial details! So before the next chapter is released, I'm going to go back and fix them. Just wanted to say that in case someone got an update notification and expected another chapter...I wouldn't want anyone to be disappointed. Well, anyway, bye 'til next time! Oh, and PLEASE REVIEW! Your reviews tell me what I'm doing right or wrong and give me something to write for! Arigato, mina!  
_


	4. An Unwanted Guest

_Thank you so much to all my readers for being so very patient while I worked so painstakingly slowly on this chapter! You guys are what give me the fuel to write (and reviews too...especially the reviews). However, I feel the need to give a big shout-out to BrookeRan1414 who was so supportive of me while I slugged through my writing. Thank you so much, Brooke-chan! :D_

_Since you all have been wonderful patient readers, I am rewarding you with the longest chapter yet! So now, without further ado, I present to you...Chapter 4 of "The Raven's Eclipse" (featuring everyone's favorite thief)! Enjoy!_

* * *

**The Raven's Eclipse****  
**_by pikacutie25_

**Chapter 4: An Unwanted Guest**

It was such a beautiful night. The temperature outside was perfect, and there wasn't a single cloud to be seen in the sky. Without the clouds, which at night could only prove their presence by passing arrogantly in front of one of those majestic lights in the sky, one could have an unobstructed view of all the bright stars and, more importantly, the not-quite-full moon.

_It's such a shame to stay indoors on an amazing night like this, _said a certain phantom thief to himself. _Ah well, at least it will be honored with a special performance by yours truly,_ he snickered.

"Kaito? What's so funny?" a familiar voice cut into his thoughts. Aoko, daughter of Nakamori-keibu and winner of the "Most Annoying Person in the World" award, was currently looking at him with an expression of suspicion.

"Oh, Aoko! I'd completely forgotten you were there!" Kaito said with a straight face.

He received the reaction he expected. She instantly became furious-seriously, you could almost see the steam she was emitting- and shrieked, "Bakaito! I've been next to you the whole time!"

It really was a regular routine with them, though. He would first provoke her, usually through an announcement of the color of the day after a not-so-discreet peek under her skirt, she would get mad at him and either chase him around with a mop or threaten him with fish (which was definitely the scarier of the two!), and then things would return to normal fairly quickly. It wasn't exactly the most common routine to have-make that they were probably the only two people in the world who had it-but he had fun nevertheless, and he was certain that deep down, she did as well.

She continued giving him a dirty look for a moment longer, then made a gesture of indifference. "Aoko didn't have to bring you along, you know! If it weren't for me, my father probably wouldn't have let you in. You know how serious he is about catching that stupid, [insert string of curses here] Kaitou Kid!" she fumed again. _Oh boy, does she hate me! Someone remind me never to tell her the truth…_

"A-ah," Kaito glanced down at his watch. 8:50 pm. _Well, guess it's about time then…_ "Hey, Aoko, I've gotta head home now," he attempted.

"What? Already? You always leave right before Kaitou Kid appears!" Aoko complained.

"Ah, sorry, but I have a project to finish," Kaito pathetically made an excuse and started walking off.

"Geez, why did you wait until the last minute?" Aoko grumbled. "Well, go on and finish your project then! And you better not procrastinate again!" she called out one last time.

"I'll try!" he called back. _…not. Man, Ahoko is way too easy to trick! No wonder she hasn't figured out my identity yet._ As he made his way towards his destination, he noticed how all the cops were scrambling about. _They seem even more disorganized than usual! Well, looks like this one will be a cinch to grab…too bad, I wanted to have more fun with Nakamori-keibu tonight. After all, games are always more fun when the opponent actually gives you a challenge…_

* * *

Meanwhile, Aoko was left all alone in the room with the gem. Well, that wasn't entirely correct: she had a bunch of frantic, shouting police officers to keep her company there. Why did it always turn out like this? Every time she tried to bring Kaito and have him watch Kid's heists (regardless of how she knew they always turned out), he always ran off for some reason or another.

Well, there was that one time when Hakuba was there, and Kaito finally got to see Kaitou Kid…he seemed really shocked. But Aoko was too, especially since Kid went flying off on a broomstick! That was totally unexpected. _Oh yeah, that's when I decided that Kaitou Kid must be gay! Although, now that I think about it, that's probably not right…he must have had a cold or something._

"Aoko!" An abrupt voice calling her name quickly snapped her out of her reverie; she immediately recognized it as that of her father's. "You need to move back a bit from the jewel. Who knows what Kid has planned tonight? I wouldn't want you getting caught up in any of his tricks," he told her kindly.

"Oh, right," she responded, stepping back a few steps. He had a point, Kid's tricks did tend to cause the officers all sorts of discomforts, and she certainly didn't want to be affected by them either if she had the choice.

As she moved back, she caught sight of a large digital clock on the wall behind the jewel case that read 9:02 p.m. Only three minutes until the designated time. _I'm also wondering what Kid is planning. I'll bet it's something pretty over-the-top, as usual. Why is he such a show-off? He's just like that annoying Bakaito, always doing whatever he wants and getting on people's nerves!_ Aoko fumed to herself. _Always causing trouble, hurting my father's reputation—_

She was cut off from her thoughts again when she suddenly heard a countdown begin amongst the officers.

"10!"

"9!"

This was how it always went.

"8!"

"7!"

As soon as this countdown would end, something…

"6!"

"5!"

Something unexpected would happen, and…

"4!"

"3!"

The officers would be helpless before what happened next…

"2!"

_And Otou-san's credibility would fall through the ceiling…_

"1!"

And the next thing they knew, something had indeed fallen from the ceiling.

"W-what was that!?" One of the officers asked. "A ceiling tile?"

Before anyone had time to think of what to do next, all the lights in the room shut off for an instant before shining brightly with beautiful, multi-colored lights. As if the place was a dance hall, the lights moved around and shone in random directions, lighting up parts of the room different colors at different intervals. At around the same time, music like the kind one would hear at an arcade started up and seemed to come from everywhere in the room at once. Following the path of one of the lights, Aoko's eyes came to rest on the clock behind the jewel case, which she realized no longer displayed the time of day but instead a timer set to begin at 15 seconds.

At that moment, smoke billowed out from somewhere above their heads, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to the ceiling. Quite predictably, there was a gaping hole in the ceiling where a tile should have been. Not quite so predictably, there was some kind of mechanical device now lowering itself from said hole. It lowered itself by about two feet before coming to a halt, allowing everyone in the room to have a better view of the strange object. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a mechanical claw of sorts.

"_Ladies and gentlemen_," an irritatingly familiar voice suddenly boomed through the music, "Let the game begin!"

And with that, the timer on the clock began its countdown, and the claw started to lower itself again.

"Th-the claw! Someone, go up there in the ceiling! Kid is probably controlling the claw from there," Nakamori called out over the noise and confusion. "Go, go, go!"

After a couple of officers ran off at dangerously high speeds, he returned his attention to the still-descending claw, which was now just a few feet above the gem case.

"Oh, no you don't!" he shouted angrily, jumping up to grab onto the claw.

"Otou-san, be careful!" Aoko called out to him, but to no avail. The claw, detecting the excessive weight, rotated rapidly and sent him flying. He landed with a hard "thump" several yards from the claw, but, being the stubborn officer he was, he was not at all hurt.

"Agh, no! The jewel…!" he watched helplessly as the claw successfully grabbed its target and began its ascent back into the ceiling. However, what happened next was beyond what anyone present, including Kaitou Kid, had expected to happen.

Shortly after beginning to rise, the claw came to a sudden halt. It then sporadically rose up a few inches, then lowered a few inches, and just generally went crazy.

"What? What's it doing now!?" remarked Nakamori. He voiced perfectly everyone's thoughts at present.

"Sir, we're approaching the area where we believe Kaitou Kid to be!" a voice floated out from the radio on Nakamori's person.

"Alright! Go get him, quickly!" he responded through the radio. "Before he has a chance to get the—"

At that moment, the claw decided to drop the gem it was holding, allowing it to fall back onto the pedestal unharmed.

"…jewel?" he finished, obviously confused. _Just what is going on here!?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaito, currently in the guise of the infamous Kaitou Kid, was swearing internally. For some reason, his flawless plan had become…well, flawed. Right now, the claw contraption that he had spent hours upon hours making and perfecting was going haywire, and no matter what he tried, he could not get it back under control again.

"What? What's it doing now!?" he heard Nakamori-keibu shout from the room beneath him. _That's what I want to know too!_ Kaito cursed. _This is _not_ how this game was supposed to turn out…_

"Come on, this way! He has to be around here," Kaito heard someone call from near his present location.

"Sir, we're approaching the area where we believe Kaitou Kid to be!" a different voice stated from even nearer. _Crap, they're getting closer!_

"Alright! Go get him, quickly!" he heard Nakamori-keibu speak urgently again. _I have to get this thing under control, and fast…!_ "Before he has a chance to get the—" _Eh?_ "…jewel?" _It…dropped it!?_

"Kaitou Kid, we know you're in there!" the first voice from earlier called out from…right by his location!? _Ack! When did they get here? It's no use, I've gotta get outta here…!_

Not wasting any more time, Kaito scrambled out of his ceiling hiding spot in the opposite direction and started sprinting for his life. Following his preplanned escape route, he avoided the areas where he knew the cops would be stationed and looking for him. Sure, he would run into a couple here and there, but they were nothing a few smoke and flash bombs couldn't take care of.

Eventually, he came to a door that he knew lead to a room perfect to complete his escape. He knew there was a window in there large enough for an adult to fit through, and so from there he could glide away safely. Looking around, Kaito was relieved to see that there were no cops near his location, and so determined it safe to enter inside without being followed. He tried opening the door, but found it was locked. _Funny, I could have sworn it was unlocked when I was last here…oh well, nothing a little lock-picking can't solve!_

And with that, Kaito took out his trusty lock-picker and went to work. Within seconds, the simple lock was undone and he had full clearance inside. Since the officers could be approaching him at any moment, he threw open the door, rushed into the dark room, and quickly shut the door behind him. _Hmm…I should probably lock it, or else they'll figure out I came this way…_ Deciding to take an extra precaution, Kaito started to lock it again with his lock-pick. _Darn two-way locks…this would be much easier if—_ "I thought you might be escaping this way, Kid," a smooth, confident voice suddenly rang out from behind him, "so I came here and waited for you." _Wh-what? Who could possibly have…?_

Kaito swung around, ready to confront the owner of the voice, and he perceived someone standing in front of his only hope of escape. _I don't recognize this voice…but, at the same time, I don't think it's anyone hostile…_ Kaito squinted, trying to see through the darkness, but the shadows in the room were too thick. _Great, I can't see him, but I stick out like a sore thumb in this outfit…_

Keeping his all-important poker face intact, Kaito responded just as confidently, "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I don't remember inviting anyone else to play this game, but it seems I now have a worthy opponent." _Something about this situation seems familiar…just where have I experienced it…?_

"Yes, but it was far too simple to figure out your plan, really," the voice taunted. _Damn, who does this guy think he is!?_

"You see, I read your heist notice in the newspaper, and I couldn't help but come and accept your challenge," the voice began its side of the story. "So, I came just a few hours ago and checked out the area. The first thing I noticed that was off was that one of the ceiling tiles seemed slightly different from the others. I thought it would be important to check out, so I asked one of the officers for a blueprint of the building and went to the area above the room with the jewel." _Why did the officer let him have something like that!?_

"I spotted your interesting little contraption in the ceiling," the voice continued, "which I could have easily taken apart right then and there, but I figured it would be much more fun to watch you panic when things went awry during all the action." _Oh, he is _really _getting on my nerves…!_ "So, in order to make things more interesting, I set up a few of my own gadgets with your contraption." _Wait, is that what caused—?_ "Yes, that's what caused your claw mechanism to malfunction right at the most crucial moment of the heist—when the jewel was being lifted up to you," the voice seemed to read his mind.

"After I finished with that, I took a look at the building's layout once more and asked the officers what their plan of catching you afterward would be if you were confirmed to be in a certain location—the ceiling in this case," the voice went on. _The cops helped him _again_!?_ "I knew you would be able to avoid all the officers, so I figured out what route you would take in that situation, and my deduction led me to this room as your final destination for escaping. Which, by the way, I had clearance to enter."

"Why did the cops help you so much? Who can you possibly be that you hold such a high status with the police?" Kaito questioned, thoroughly confused and annoyed by now.

"Ah, now there's a simple question that can be answered equally simply…"

At that moment, the lights switched on, revealing all in the room. _No way! How…?_ Kaito's poker face nearly broke when he perceived the figure before him. The person who stood blocking his path looked almost identical to Kaito, save for the hairstyle. _Hold on, I think I recognize this guy! His appearance, his manner, his intelligence…I saw all of this in the news all the time a while back! He's…!_

"You…you're—!"

"Kudou Shinichi. Tantei-san," Shinichi finished. "And, unfortunately for you, the winner of this game is none other than me."

"Oh? You should know better than to think that you've won just because you're blocking one window I can get out of," Kaito managed to say without a trace of doubt. "I could just as easily get out of this room and find another path of escape."

"Ah, but I'm afraid that I've anticipated that as well," Shinichi stated in a mock tone of sadness. "You see, the only exits in this room are the window behind me and the door behind you, making this room the perfect trap." _Crap, how could I have overlooked this!?_

Shinichi then removed his left hand from his pocket—which up until now had contained both of his hands—and revealed a radio. "K-3 to P-4, now's the time," he said into the radio. _Oh no…!_

Almost immediately, Kaito heard the shuffling of feet out in the hallway, followed by deafening knocks on the door to their room. "Kaitou Kid, we know you're in there! Come out and surrender yourself!"

"As I'm sure you've noticed, both of your exits are now blocked, Kid," Shinichi said menacingly as he now pulled his right hand out of his pocket. It didn't take Kaito long to recognize the familiar glint and shape of the object he had pulled out.

Pointing the gun at Kaito, Shinichi continued in the same tone of voice, "You can see with common sense that your situation right now is futile and that you have absolutely no chance of escape. So, you have two choices, Kid." _Two?_

"One, surrender yourself right now to the police and live the rest of your life rotting in jail for the crimes you've committed." _Well, that sounds just dandy…_

"Or two…" Shinichi paused. "You could help me with a problem of my own, and in return I could 'accidentally' let you escape." Shinichi lowered his gun here. _What? Me, help him?_

"What kind of problem?" Kaito said, slightly suspicious.

Shinichi was silent for a moment, apparently thinking of what to say, before deciding how to phrase his response. Then, his facial expression suddenly changed from one of utmost confidence to one of uncertainty and desperation before answering, "It all started with these two men in black…"

* * *

_Author's Note: Whew, I finally did it! So how'd you guys like it? Huh huh huh? (In case it's not obvious, I want you to review! Please!)_

_The action's about to start, as you can see! Things are going to become even more exciting! So, look forward to it!_

_I know this chapter took forever to come out, but the next chapter may take just as long if not longer. I'm terribly sorry, but school will be school..._

_Oh, and one last thing: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I've said it before, but I'll say it again, your reviews tell me how I'm doing, not to mention give me the drive to keep writing! Maybe if I get more reviews, I'll write the next chapter just a little faster...*cough cough*...so yeah. 'Til next time!_  
_~pikacutie25, signing off.  
_


	5. The Plan

_...ok, I lied. Plain and simple. I didn't get this chapter out faster regardless of how much you guys wanted it and reviewed it, I got it out three times as late. Feel free to pelt me with whatever you deem necessary, I deserve that and much more..._

_On a happier note, I did enjoy the reviews. They brightened my day. ^^ Also, if all goes well, I should be getting the next one out sooner, considering it's now summer break. Again, not making any definite promises, as somehow my summer is just as busy as my school year... -.- I still love reviews, though. That hasn't changed. ;)_

_Also, in case it wasn't clear, this story takes place immediately following the Desperate Revival arc. As a result, Shinichi has only encountered Kid thrice chronologically, up to this point: during the clock tower heist, during the Black Star heists, and during the magic lovers' case. However, on the flip side, since Kid does not yet know Conan's true identity and since he never actually saw Shinichi during the clock tower heist, he has never truly "met" him face-to-face until now. Just wanted to clear that up in case anyone was confused on why they were acting the way they were. Alright, now on with the story!_

* * *

**The Raven's Eclipse**  
_by pikacutie25_

**Chapter 5: The Plan**

Kaito stood in silence, absorbing everything Shinichi had just told him. Arms crossed and eyes closed, he tried putting the pieces together in his mind. _Wow, his story is really something. It makes sense, but at the same time, I feel like he's still hiding something… _After a lengthy pause, he finally said, "So, let me get this straight…one day, you followed a suspicious man in black. You saw him make an illegal transaction with some other guy, and then you got knocked out from behind. Then you say they tried to kill you…right?"

"Y-yeah," Shinichi responded somewhat hesitantly.

"Exactly how did they try to kill you?" Kaito asked in a tone of innocent curiosity.

"A gun," Shinichi answered, too quickly. "They…shot me with a gun, but I managed to survive and get help."

"I see. And since then, you've purposely remained in hiding for fear of them trying to kill you again should they ever discover your survival?"

"That's right. But somehow, even with my precautions, they managed to discover…and now, Ran is…" Shinichi stopped himself, not wanting to lose face during such a critical moment. After a brief pause, he continued, "So that's why I need help. I need someone who is cool and collected in tricky situations to disguise as me and confront whoever it is that kidnapped Ran while I search for her."

"And seeing as I am a thief skilled in disguise who has never been caught, that's why you came to me for help," Kaito summed up.

"Yes…" Shinichi said reluctantly. "But I hope you realize that I would never in my right mind ask you for such a huge favor unless you were my absolute last resort, and maybe not even then. After all, I'm a detective, and you're a thief," he finished simply. _Can't argue with that logic._

Kaito resumed standing in silence, thinking over everything and carefully considering all his options. Even in the situation he was in right now, he could probably still figure out a way of escape. After all, he was Kaitou Kid, doer of the impossible and maker of miracles…something like that. Anyways, he shouldn't be forced to help an enemy…especially his archrival! Though, with a problem of this grand of a scale, he'd be greatly indebted to him for a while._ That could be nice, _he thought with a subtle smirk. _Meitantei Kudo Shinichi, in debt to the infamous Kaitou Kid. What a riot!_

Seeming to have reached some sort of decision, Kaito finally opened his eyes to look at his expectant rival, only to find that that same vulnerable, resigned look from before had returned. _Geez, he's really hit an all-time low, hasn't he? Well, they did kidnap his girlfriend…can't really blame him._ For just a moment, he put himself in Shinichi's shoes, and realized that if it was Aoko who was in danger, he'd be just as desperate. _I have to help him,_ he finally resolved. _And if this organization he's talking about is the same one that killed Dad, oh man, we're _really_ gonna make them pay._

Suddenly, loud knocking came again from the door behind him, and a voice shot out from the radio Shinichi was holding, "P-4 to K-3! What is going on in there!?"

Both realizing they were running out of time, they looked at each other and simultaneously came to a silent agreement. "Meet me in the alley behind the shipyard in two hours," Shinichi said in a hushed voice. Kaito nodded his acknowledgement. Then, after one more moment of silence, Shinichi raised the radio to his mouth and said, "K-3 to P-4, I have Kaitou Kid cornered! I'm about to—"

Taking the cue, Kaito threw down a smoke bomb, saying, "I don't think so, tantei-san!"

"Aaagh!" Shinichi pretended into the radio, then promptly lay down on the ground. After one last glance at his newfound ally, Kaito rushed to the window. Opening it in a hurry, he readied his glider and immediately hopped out, leaving the "collapsed" detective to deal with wrapping up the police side of the heist. Whatever that entailed.

As he glided away into the cool, cloudless night sky, Kaito had plenty of time to think about and prepare for the upcoming event later on that same evening. _Alright, I'll need to change up my hair a little bit, since that's apparently the only thing that can tell us apart. I should probably bring a few of my useful gadgets, but not the flashy ones, because that's not like him. I'll have to see what I can fit into that suit I never wear, and…_

_…what the heck am I getting myself into…?_

* * *

Waiting. He always had problems with waiting; it was one of his major personality flaws. Whenever he discovered some major breakthrough in a case or situation, rather than make the logical choice and wait for sufficient backup, he would charge in head-first without a second thought to the danger he'd put himself into as a result. If he'd had even an ounce less of luck, he would be dead ten times over by now. So, then, why did he keep doing it? Why did he constantly endanger himself for the sake of others? The answer was just that: he always put others before himself (when he wasn't gloating about having solved a case, that is). And ever since the Moonlight Sonata case where he failed to save Seiji from committing suicide after his deduction, he has always tried his hardest to prevent the same thing from happening to every culprit he exposed, sometimes risking his own life in the process—again, without waiting for any outside help. And thus this "major flaw" of his has turned out to be one of the most likable aspects of him. Occasionally it did turn on him, however, as was made apparent by Haibara who scolded him for revealing himself prematurely as the Black Knight. But he had to in order to solve the case! …Right?

Now, however, he was forced to wait for help from someone who was supposed to be a criminal in what was probably the most delicate yet crucial situation in his entire life. The person he held dearest was currently in the clutches of what he knew to be the most dangerous and ruthless organization in existence. The thought that he could lose her forever at any given moment was excruciating, yet here he was waiting, doing nothing. If he hadn't been the levelheaded detective that he was, he probably would have lost his mind by now, but even that was not enough to keep his eyes off his watch for more than five consecutive seconds. He had absolutely no guarantee that the guy would actually come, and considering that he had just singlehandedly foiled his [probably] carefully thought-of plan and almost gotten him arrested less than two hours ago, the chances weren't looking that great.

Then, just as he started to grow worried, he noticed a shadow approaching him in the darkness of the alley. Not knowing for certain who it could be, he warily watched the figure close the distance between them until he perceived a face identical to his own, with a flawless matching hairstyle. Marginally relieved, he glanced down at his watch one last time. 11:30. _Exactly two hours…this guy is good._

"Alright, tantei-san, _I'm here_," Kid enunciated. "Now, ignoring the unanswerable question of why I actually showed up, may I ask what brilliant scheme you've devised to save your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Shinichi mumbled, blushing slightly. He noticed a slight smirk on Kid's face, much to his annoyance considering it was basically his own face smirking at him. Clearing his throat, Shinichi moved on, in a much more audible voice. "Anyways, here's the plan in a nutshell: as I said before, you're going to confront whoever it is that had the gall to kidnap her just to get to me while I search for her. The reason it's not the other way around, well, I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Yeah, yeah, I've got the dangerous job, I know," Kid muttered. "But hold on…he's probably going to ask 'Kudo Shinichi' a few questions, right? How will I know what to say?"

"Yes, well, that's where these come in," Shinichi replied, then proceeded to pull out a couple of miniature devices. "These communicators will allow us to contact each other, and they're small enough to escape notice in the dark. When he asks you a question, I'll tell you the answer through the communicator."

"So, if I put on a good enough performance, he shouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"That's the idea," Shinichi nodded. "And I trust you of all people shouldn't have a problem doing that."

"Of course not! I'll put on such a convincing act that not even a detective like you will be able to see through it!" Kid smirked.

"Good," Shinichi allowed himself a small smile. "Now, as soon as I've safely rescued her, I'll tell you and then you'll do whatever is necessary to escape. Just…make sure you're not out of character when you do it. You wouldn't want him figuring out it was you."

"Yes, mother. I'll be extra careful," Kid said in a mock tone of childlike obedience. _Sometimes I really wonder about this guy…_

"Okay then…" Shinichi said, slightly disturbed. Looking down at his watch again, he saw that the time was upon them. They needed to get going. "Well, it's about that time. Are you prepared for whatever he might throw our way?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Kid responded, now obviously annoyed.

"Alright then, let's go," Shinichi suggested and started walking. Kid followed closely behind. After a couple of long minutes spent walking in expectant silence, they reached the entrance to the shipyard. "Now, if my deduction is correct, he should be waiting over there," Shinichi remarked and gestured to a specific area.

"Gotcha. If that's all, then I'm off," Kid stated. After a brief hesitation, he departed in the direction Shinichi pointed out to him, his hands in the pockets of his suit.

When he was out of sight, Shinichi began his own walk in the opposite direction, looking for any sign of Ran and anything out of the ordinary. Only then did it strike him how expansive this shipyard was; the rows of warehouses seemed to stretch on for miles. Even finding her was going to be harder than he thought. But he couldn't give up now, not when she was so close! She had to be in one of those warehouses. So, he'd just have to keep looking until he found her. Shinichi started walking at a faster pace, strengthened by his resolve to find her. _Hold on, Ran! I'm coming...!_

* * *

_Author's Note: It's not much longer, guys! The confrontation where Rum will reveal his methods is finally coming next chapter! Look forward to it!_

_In the meantime, you all should check out CrystalizedDarkness's (previously BrookeRan1414) amazing stories! They're well worth your time, and she even updates regularly, unlike me! So you should definitely do that._

_Aaand one last thing: I neglected to say this last time, but I'm thinking of also writing a one-shot on one of the couples in DC. However, I just can't decide which pairing to write about! So that's why I need you guys, my faithful readers, to vote on the **poll on my profile** to help me decide! At the moment, it's a tie between two of the pairings, so it really needs more votes! Thanks, everyone!_

_And with that, I'll leave with one last remark: **REVIEWS!** Thank you for your time. See ya at the next chapter!_


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